Angels and Demons

The famous print of Maurits Cornelis Escher on angels and demons is called Circle Limit IV (Heaven and Hell). Escher was a Dutch graphic artist known for displaying objects and touching the perception of space, reality and infinity. An example is the image of angels and demons, where the white angels represent light and goodness and the demons represent the opposite (darkness and evil). While keeping this image in our minds let’s analyze something interesting.

One of the mysterious and debatable numbers in Christianity is 666 because of its verse in the book of Revelation 13:18.

In Greek Isopsephy, number 888 is the number of Christ (Ιησους) and in Standard Hebrew (Mispar Hechrachi) in Malachi 3:6 it is the sum of the Hebrew phrase “I am the LORD, I change not – אני יהוה לא שניתי”

Number 1110 (the blood of Jesus – τὸ αἷμα Ἰησοῦ from 1 John 1:7).

In geometry the connection between 666 and 888 is given by the Pythagorean theorem.

What does this mean? Is there a connection between 888 (light) and 666 (darkness)?

In modern times, if you ever go to a Casino, the roulette wheel has at least the numbers from 1 to 36 and the 36th triangular number is number 666. The magic square of the sun has a sum of 666 as well.

The usage of gematria is known since antiquity and actually the name of Nero (Neron Kaiser), a cruel and depraved individual, one who even killed his own mother adds up to 666.

“Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. ” (Revelation 13:18)

If reading the above verse carefully it asks you to “count the number”. In Greek this number is presented with three letters Chi (χ), Xi (ξ), Stigma(ϛ) which add up in Greek Isopsephy to 666.

If we view these three letters in angle -180 we will notice a strange symbol. This symbol is one of the preferred activities of humankind in reproducing themselves. People are lifeforms with carbon base. In fact the isotope of Carbon (Carbon-12) has 6 electrons, 6 protons and 6 neutrons.

One might ask, is the number 666 always a negative number?

Isaiah 53, a messianic chapter of Jesus actually has 666 letters.

The phrase “Herein is love” at 1 John 4:10 or the phrase “And this is love” at 2 John 1:6 in Greek are ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη which have an isopsephy of 666.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

“And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.” (2 John 1:6)

Is this just a “Coincidentia oppositorum” (a coincidence of the opposites)? How can this be possible?

Going back to Escher’s painting you will see that both the angels and demons co-exist. In Greek the word φάρμακον (pharmakon) is an example of polysemy (words that have several meanings) and enantiodromia (where things have a tendency to change into their opposites). As an example, the word pharmakon can describe remedy or medicine to cure someone and in another sense it can be a poison.

It reminds of Rumi’s poem

“In (the realm of) Time there is no poison or sugar that is not a foot (support) to one and a fetter (injury) to another—
To one a foot, to another a fetter; to one a poison and to another (sweet and wholesome) like sugar.
Snake-poison is life to the snake, (but) it is death in relation to man.
The sea is as a garden to the water-creatures; to the creatures of earth it is death and a (painful) brand.”